Connector



H. A. DOUGLAS.

- CONNECTOR. APFLICATIONJFILED AUG. 9, 1917.

BatentedSept. 20,1921

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS, 01 BRONSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO .DOUGLAS & RUDD MFG.

.CO., 0]! BRONSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

Application filed August 9, 1917. Serial No. 185,251.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. DOUGLAS, citizen of the United States, residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Connectors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to that class of circuit connectors employing an inclosing shell and .a contact carrier receivable within the shell and usually separably engagable therewith by means of a bayonet pin and slot formation, though my invention is not to be limited to such a' means for coupling the shell and carrier. Y

My invention has for one of its objects the provision of means whereby the contact carrier may be centered with respect to the shell. When the shell is also a current conducting element, my invention has for its further object the provision of means whereby the intimacy of the electrical connection between such shell and a contact upon the contact carrier may be effectively improved. By means of my invention not only are the above results accomplished but the union between the shell and contact carrier is made more rigid or stable, a result which is another object of the invention.

I shall describe my invention in detail with reference to a circuit connector wherein the shell constitutes a current conductor and the contact carrier is provided with a contact in the form of a sheath, but I desire it to be clearly understood that no limitation is imposed upon my invention thereby and that it is (3%11ally adapted and equally advantageous or incorporation in those connectors wherein no current is conducted through the shell, and that it is capable of embodiment in any type of c1rcuit connector having the elementary structure of a shell and including an expansible and contractiblecontact carrier receiving ring movable within the shell and having wedging engagement therewith, my invention more specifically consisting in providing a ring which assumes a position normaily at substantially the limit of its nonwedging movement, and in providing means which is rendered effective by the insertion of a contact carrier within said ring to move the ring in a wedging direction and thereby con ct he same p n the carrier.

A specific form of the invention, to which I do not wish to be limited but by which all of the objects of my invention may be accomplished, includes a current conducting shell having a seat therein sloping longitudinally thereof, a contact carrier receivable in the shell and carrying a bayonet pin, a) contact upon the contact carrier in the form of a sheath disposed about the carrier, and. an expansible and contractible current conducting ring receiving said carrier and its sheath and received in the aforesaid sloping seat and sloping correspondingly to said seat engaging it whereby said ring, by suitable movement upon said sea-t longitudinally of the shell, may be contracted and forced into firm engagement with both sheath and shell, said ring having a bayonet slot receiving said bayonet pin. In one embodiment of the invention there is also included a second contact carrier coupled with the shell, a contact upon this second contact carrier engagable with the contact upon the other carrier, and a spring pressing the contact upon one carrier against the contact upon the other carrier and operating to contract said ring to increase the force of its engagement.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing two embodiments thereof and in which Figure 1 .illustrates a circuit connector in section except for a contact carrier which is shown'in elevation; Fig. 2 is a view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at right angles to the direction in which Fig. 1 is taken but having both contact carriers shown in elevation; Fig. 4 is a view on line 44 of Fig. 2;Fig. 5 is a side view illustrating a part of the structureyFig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a modification, the two contact carriers being shown in elevation; Fig. 7 is a view on line 77 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a view of an inner end of one of the contact carriers. Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures. v

The circuit connectors illustrated in both forms of the invention shown-include each a metallic current conducting shell 1 having a seat 2 (or two seats 2 in the structure shown in Fig. 6) upon the interior thereof and sloping lo gitudinally there f,

The contact carrier 3 happens to constitute the base of a lamp 4 and carries a central metallic contact 5 which constitutes one terminal of the filament 6 of the lamp, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the nature of the circuit continuing elements associated with or carried by said contact carrier. The contact carrier 3 illustrated carries another contact 7 which is in the nature of a metallic cylindrical contact sheath disposed thereabout. An expansible and contractible current conducting metallic ring 8 receives the carrier 3 and its sheath 7. The bore of this ring is desirably cylindrical to conform to the cylindrical sheath 7 and the exterior of the ring desirably slopes or tapers forwardly, the tapering exterior of the ring being received in the seat 2 formed in the interior of the shell 1 and sloping or tapering forwardly similarly to the slopigg exterior of the ring 8, there thus being a orded engaging wedging faces extending longitudinally of the connector. This ring is s own as being provided with two bayonet slots 10 and 11 that are adated to receive bayonet pins 12 carried by t e contact carrier 3, these pins being shown directly upon the sheath 7. The bayonet slot 10 is provided with an inner continuation 13 whereby this slot splits the ring from end to end in order that the ring may be made expansible and contractible in its plane. Because the ring is longitudinally split by the extended bayonet slot 10, I desirably reinforce the bayonet slot 11 by the bridging formation 14, the sections of the ring flexing upon this bridging portion as the ring is exanded or contracted. By the construction illustrated, when the ring 8 is moved outwardly and longitudinally with reference to the shell 1 there is a wed ing action between such shell and ring w ereby the ring is contracted. In being contracted the forcefulness of the engagement of ring 8 with both the shell 1 and the sheath 7 is increased whereby the contact carrier 3 is held more rigidly in engagement with the shell, is centered within the shell, and the intimacy of the electrical connection between the shell and sheath is effectively increased owing to the elimination -.-of any loose fitting of-tthe contact carrier within the shell. When the contact carrier 3 and shell are to be separated. the ring 8 is moved inwardly and longitudinally of the shell to permit it to expand and thereby release its grip upon both the shell and carrier.

The means illustrated by which the ring 8 is contracted includes a second contact carrier 15 which may be permanently coupled with the shell 1. This carrier carries a. central contact 16 which is in electrical connection with a conductor terminal 17. The second contact carrier 15 also carries a coiled spring 18 whereby the contact 16 is forced against the contact 5 upon the first contact carrier 3. This spring, by pressing the contact 16 against the contact 5, also exerts outward pressure upon the contact carrier 3 whereby the bayonet pins 12 are forced against the seats in the bayonet slots 10 and 11 that are provided in the ring 8. This pressure of the spring 18 is thus effective in pressin the ring 8 outwardly lengthwise of the she l 1 whereby the ring 8 is contracted with the results hitherto specified. When the contact carrier 3 is to be uncoupled from the shell 1 it is pressed inwardly against the force of the spring 16 whereby the ring 8 is moved rearwardly into the larger part of the sloping seat 2 in the shell 1. The ring 8 is thereupon free to expand and is desirably sufliciently resilient so that it will automatically expand when moved rearwardly and when expanded it releases its grip upon the shell 1 and the sheath 7 whereupon the bayonet pins 12 may be turned in the bayonet slots 10 and 11 until they are in alinement with the longitudinal portions of these slots whereafter these.

bayonet pins may be drawn forwardly through these slots in the outward movementof the contact carrier 3. Thus it will be seen that the ring 8 is normally expanded and normally positioned at substantially the limit of its non-wedging movement and that it offers no interference with thefree insertion and removal of the contact carrier. It will also be observed that the effectiveness of the means for moving the ring 8 in a wedging direction is only present after the insertion of the contact carrier and while this means in the present disclosure acts through the contact carrier it will be obvious that the essence of my invention would still be present if said means did not act through the contact carrier, the only essential being that the means is rendered effective by the insertion of the contact carrier.

The construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is essentiall similar to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, like parts being given similar characters of reference. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 heavier metal is employedin the :formation. of the elements 1 and 8. In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 these elements are formed out of sheet tubing and because the ring 8 in the structure of Figs. 6 and 7 is thinner than the ring 8 shown in other views such ring 8 is formed with 'an annular recess 8 to permit the bayonet pins 12 to project thereinto without having binding engagement with the shell 1. Instead of having a single tapering formation as illustrated in Fig. 1, the ring illustrated in Fig. 6 has two tapering formations 8 in which event the metallic shell 1 of Fig. 6 also has two correspondingly tapering seats 2.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiments of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A circuit connector including a shell, an expansible and contractible contact carrier receiving ring movable within the shell and having wedging engagement therewith, said ring beingpositioned normally at'substantially the limit of-its non-wedging movement, and means rendered effective by the insertion of a contact carrier within said ring to move the ring in a wedging direction and thereby contract the same upon the carrier.

2. A circuit connector including a shell, an expansible and contractible contact carrier receiving ring movable within the shell and having wedging engagement therewith, said ring being posltioned normally at sub stantially the limit of its non-wedging movement, and means energized by the insertion of a. contact carrier within said ring operating to move the ring in a wedging direction and thereby contract the same upon the carrier.

3. A circuit connector including a shell, an expansible and contractible contact carrier receiving ring movable within the shell and having wedging engagement therewith, said ring being positioned normally at substantially the limit of its non-wedging move- Qment, and v means energized by the insertion of a contact carrier within said ring operating to move the ring in a wedging direction and thereby contract the same upon the carrier, said means being inefiective to.

move the ring gtrom normal position during lnsertlonand removal of the contact carrier in and from t erlng.

I A an expansible and contractible ring movable actin 4:. A circuit connector including a shell,

and having wedging pressure upon the shell on its movement longitudinally of the shell and contractible ring receiving said carrier and having wedging pressure upon the shell on its movement longitudinally of the shell in one direction whereby the ring may be contracted and forced into firm engagement with both the contact carrier and shell, said ring having a bayonet slot receiving said bayonet pin to effect such longitudinal movement.

7. A circuit connector including a shell; a contact carrier receivable in the shell and carrying a bayonet pin; and an expansible and contractible ring receiving said carrier and having wedging pressure upon the shell on its movement longitudinally of the shell in one direction whereby the ring may" be contracted and forced into firm engagement with both the contact carrier and shell, said ring having a bayonet slot receiving said bayonet pin -to enable such longitudinal movement; in combination with means operating upon the carrier for effecting such longitudinal movement and consequent contraction of such ring.-

8. A circuit connector including a shell; a contact carrier receivablein the shell and carrying a bayonet pin; and an expansible and contractible ring receiving sald carrier and having wedging pressure upon the shell on its movement longitudinally of the shell in one direction whereby the ring may be contracted and forced into firm en agement with both the contact carrier and s ell, said ring having a bayonet slot receiving said bayonet pin to enable such longitudinal movement; in combination with sprin means operating upon the carrier for e fe'cting such longitudinal movement and consequent contraction of such ring.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe by name this 1st day of August, A. D. 1917.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

